In response, the Kerala high court had annulled Hadiya’s marriage, placing her in the custody of her father after the prosecutors said they feared for her wellbeing.

In a submission to the high court, Hadiya rejected the allegations against her husband by the anti-terror investigations agency, before appealing against the decision to the supreme court.

But the supreme court allowed the agency to continue its investigation, begun in 2015, of the alleged radicalisation of young Hindus in Kerala, which sends tens of thousands of workers to the Middle East, as a potential hotbed for Islamic State recruitment.

Muslims make up about 14 per cent, while Hindus account for more than 79 per cent of India’s population of roughly 1.3 billion, the latest census shows. – Reuters